Toy vehicles that produce simulated sound effects in order to enhance the play of the toy are well known. As pointed out in U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,962, for example, toy vehicles including mechanical sound generators driven by the vehicle motor are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,190,034; 3,391,489; and 3,441,236. Similarly, model train engines often include means for simulating the sounds of locomotives, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,664,060 and 3,466,797. Such prior art sound generators include, for example, switching devices which cooperate with the toy drive mechanism or steering mechanism selectively to apply various voltages to diaphragm-type signalling devices for the purpose of producing the various sound effects. Other toys, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,983 generate sound effects only during periods when the toy is turning.
The sophistication of the prior art products range from the simple clicker unit which comprises a pointed wheel cam on an axle which flexes a resilient member and then allows the member to snap back against a sound producing surface, to highly sophisticated and costly units, such as the electronic unit described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,962.
The present invention is concerned with a sound generator to be mounted on a toy vehicle to simulate certain sound effects. The sound generator of the invention is similar to an acoustical phonograph, and it includes a machined turntable with mutually exclusive concentric sound tracks, each of the sound tracks creating a different sound effect as it is engaged by the needle of a tone arm/speaker subassembly. The turntable is driven, for example, by a gear train coupled to the wheels of the vehicle. Selection of the various sound effects in the generator of the present invention is made in the following manner: when the vehicle is pushed straight ahead the sound generator creates a motor sound as the tone arm needle is positioned on the "motor noise" track, pushing the vehicle faster makes the motor sound faster; when the vehicle is pushed while biasing the pushing force to the right or left causes an appropriate linkage to move the tone arm needle to a "squealing tires" track; finally, when the vehicle is pushed against a movable object the front bumper is displaced back towards the center of the vehicle, and this causes the tone arm needle to be moved to a "crash" track on the turntable to simulate crash sounds.
It is evident that additional and/or different sound tracks may be used to simulate, for example, horn or siren sounds, backfiring engine sounds, gear shifting sounds, and the like.
In the embodiment to be described, no exterior levers are utilized, so that the sound effects coincide with the natural play of the vehicle, making the overall effect extremely natural and simple. In the embodiment to be described, no batteries are used, so that there is no danger to the child playing with the vehicle and no continuing maintenance cost to the parent.